Career and Education Opportunities for Child and Family Services Workers in Rancho Cucamonga, California

Child and family services worker career and educational opportunities abound in Rancho Cucamonga, California. There are currently 21,700 working child and family services workers in California; this should grow by 18% to 25,700 working child and family services workers in the state by 2016. This is better than the national trend for child and family services workers, which sees this job pool growing by about 12.3% over the next eight years. Child and family services workers generally provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children.

The income of a child and family services worker is about $22 per hour or $47,590 yearly on average in California. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is about $19 hourly or $39,530 per year on average. Child and family services workers earn less than people working in the category of Social Work and Community Services generally in California and less than people in the Social Work and Community Services category nationally. Jobs in this field include: family manager, adoption coordinator, and family preservation caseworker.

The Rancho Cucamonga area is home to twenty-seven schools of higher education, including one within twenty-five miles of Rancho Cucamonga where you can get a degree as a child and family services worker. The most common level of education for child and family services workers is a Bachelor's degree. You can expect to spend about four years studying to be a child and family services worker if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Child and Family Services Worker

Child and Family Services Worker video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, child and family services workers provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. They also may assist single parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children.

Child and family services workers counsel individuals or communities regarding issues including mental health or medical care. They also interview clients individually or in groups, assessing their situations and problems, to establish what services are used to meet their needs. Equally important, child and family services workers have to furnish or manage support services, such as child care, homemaker service, prenatal care, and substance abuse classes, to stop more serious problems from developing. They are often called upon to serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics and other contacts, to help children who face problems such as disabilities or poverty. They are expected to design and review service plans in consultation with clients, and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided. Finally, child and family services workers confer with parents and other school personnel to establish causes of problems such as truancy and misbehavior, and to execute solutions.

Every day, child and family services workers are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for child and family services workers to counsel students whose behavior or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students' problems and arranging for needed services. They are often called upon to address legal issues. They also conduct social research. Somewhat less frequently, child and family services workers are also expected to serve on policymaking committees, help in community development, and assist client groups by lobbying for solutions to problems.

Child and family services workers sometimes are asked to recommend temporary foster care and advise foster or adoptive parents. They also have to be able to work in child and adolescent residential institutions and administer welfare programs. And finally, they sometimes have to counsel students whose behavior or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students' problems and arranging for needed services.

Like many other jobs, child and family services workers must have a strong concern for others and have strong self control in the face of challenging situations.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Rancho Cucamonga include:

Career Advisor. Counsel individuals and provide group educational and vocational guidance services.

Medical Social Worker. Provide persons, families, or vulnerable populations with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, such as Alzheimer's, cancer, or AIDS. Services include advising family care givers, providing patient education and counseling, and making necessary referrals for other social services.

Mental Health Counselor. Counsel with emphasis on prevention. Work with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental health. May help individuals deal with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; suicide; stress management; problems with self-esteem; and issues associated with aging and mental and emotional health.

Mental Health Social Worker. Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, and education.

Probation Officer. Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.

Social Services Assistant. Assist professionals from a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, to provide client services, as well as support for families. May assist clients in identifying available benefits and social and community services and help clients obtain them. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, or adult daycare.

Substance Abuse Specialist. Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Child and Family Services Worker Training

Loma Linda University - Loma Linda, CA

Loma Linda University, , Loma Linda, CA 92350. Loma Linda University is a small university located in Loma Linda, California. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 4,115 students. Loma Linda University has a master's degree and a doctor's degree program in Social Work which graduated twenty-seven and zero students respectively in 2008.

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LOCATION INFORMATION: Rancho Cucamonga, California

Rancho Cucamonga, California photo by Sfan00_IMG

Rancho Cucamonga is situated in San Bernardino County, California. It has a population of over 171,176, which has grown by 34.0% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Rancho Cucamonga, 128, is far greater than the national average. New single-family homes in Rancho Cucamonga are valued at $207,800 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, one hundred fifty-nine new homes were built in Rancho Cucamonga, down from five hundred eighty-three the previous year.

The top three industries for women in Rancho Cucamonga are educational services, health care, and finance and insurance. For men, it is construction, public administration, and educational services. The average commute to work is about 32 minutes. More than 23.3% of Rancho Cucamonga residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 7.3%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Rancho Cucamonga is 9.2%, which is less than California's average of 12.3%.

The percentage of Rancho Cucamonga residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 42.0%, is less than both the national and state average. Alta Loma Christian Church, Grace Fellowship Church and The Lords House are all churches located in Rancho Cucamonga. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention and the LDS (Mormon) Church.

Rancho Cucamonga is home to the Etiwanda Fire Station and the John Rains House as well as Victoria Groves Park and Hermosa Park. Shopping malls in the area include Alta Loma Plaza Shopping Center, Alta Loma Square Shopping Center and AltaLoma Country Village Shopping Center.